


Natural Progression

by RoseBonbon



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Ann and Ryuji are best friends forever, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kiss Ryuji Day!, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 01:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14125353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseBonbon/pseuds/RoseBonbon
Summary: Kissing shouldn't be this difficult. Ryuji and Yusuke have been dating for two months, but they have yet to share even one kiss. Ryuji begins to question if this means he and Yusuke aren't right for each other, and it takes Ann's sharp tongue and not so friendly advice to help him see clearly.*Written for Kiss Ryuji Day!





	Natural Progression

**Author's Note:**

> Three days late to Kiss Ryuji Day~ Nevertheless I'm so happy to finally write something that delves into both Ann and Ryuji's friendship and Ryuji and Yusuke's relationship. I love seeing a best friend dynamic between Ryuji and Ann. There doesn't seem to be enough about of that around. The same can be said for Ryuji and Yusuke. We definitely need more of these boys! Well, here's just a little story about Ryuji trying to work up the courage to finally kiss his wonderful boyfriend. Enjoy!

This was the most important day of Ryuji’s life.

He never thought it would come, but it snuck up on him before he could even blink. Or rather he had made the decision that today was the day. Ryuji knew he couldn’t continue pushing this off, so when he woke up this morning he made his spur of the moment decision. Today was  _his_  fucking day and nothing was going to stop him. Today was the day he finally showed how good of a boyfriend he could be.

He was going to kiss Yusuke.

They had been dating for nearly two months and they’d only ever given each other little pecks or kisses on the cheek. As cute as that was, Ryuji could sense a change in their dynamic. Yusuke’s lips would linger on his cheek just a bit longer than usual. Ryuji found himself kissing closer and closer to that perfectly shaped mouth. They stared at each other as if they could see the entire universe in each other’s eyes, and in these moments it was harder not to kiss Yusuke than it was do it, but Ryuji resisted. Desire circled around them, forcing them closer together only for them to fight against it.

 _And why fight against it?_  Ryuji thought as he looked at himself in the mirror. Why were they trying so hard to not kiss each other when they both wanted it so badly? They were ready to take their relationship to the next level. They were more than ready. So why in the hell were they trying so hard to stop this from happening? There was only one person who could answer that question and he dialed her number as soon as he left his house.

“Well maybe….” Ann took a moment to think about Ryuji’s situation. The solution was easy enough. All he had to do was kiss Yusuke and the problem was solved, but she was wondering why there was a problem in the first place. She was about to give her opinion when her phone slid out from between her ear and shoulder; her catch was quick, but she ruined her wet nails in the process. After cursing under her breath she set to fixing her nails and thinking about Ryuji’s problem. “Hmmm….” This wasn’t the easiest thing to consider. If it were her, she wouldn’t think so hard about why they hadn’t kissed yet. She would just go for it.

“What’s the issue, Ryuji?” she eventually wound up saying. “Just kiss him already.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes as he walked down the street. Sometimes Ann understood him better than anyone else in the world, and other times she acted like a total stranger. “It’s like we’re trying to stop the natural progression of things. For example, have you ever played Pokemon?”

“What? Of course I’ve played Pokemon. What kind of girl do you take me for? Besides, what does that have to do with you and Yusuke?”

“It’s like our relationship is trying to evolve, but we keep hitting ‘B’ to prevent it from growing.”

“Ohhh. I like that analogy.”

“Right! I got some good ones, don’t I?”

“Don’t get a big head now.”

“Shut up.”

“You shut up! You’re the one who called me looking for advice after all!”

“Then give me some advice!”

The growl that came from the other line sounded less human and more demon, but Ryuji didn’t care. This was Ann after all. There was never a moment she wasn’t infuriated with him for whatever reason. Just last week she got onto him about his lunch because they were supposed to be eating healthy. Two hours later Ryuji saw Ann gorging herself on chocolate cake so he managed to get a few choice words in before they considered themselves even.

“Are you gonna help me or not? I’ll call Akira if you got more important things to do.”

“Well, I do have more important things to do, Ryuji, but I’ve opted to talk to your dumb ass instead.”

“So thoughtful, dumbass.”

“I _am_  thoughtful, dumbass.” Ann growled again, though smiled to herself. She would never admit it, but these back-and-forth banters with Ryuji always took the edge off her of typically stressful days. Between modeling, checking on Shiho, Phantom Thieves stuff, and school, she found herself carrying more weight than she could handle. Somehow it was always Ryuji who came along to help her shoulder her burdens. Next to Shiho, Ryuji was her best friend and as ridiculous as she found his situation, she wanted to help him with it.

“I know you’ve been with Yusuke for a while now. You seem happy from the outside looking in, but how are things really? Any problems?”

Ryuji shook his head only to remember that Ann couldn’t see it. This conversation was one he’d rather have in person, but that simply wasn’t possible today. Ryuji had Yusuke waiting on him, and Ann had whatever Ann-things going on. “We’re strong, you know. It’s kind of crazy to me. Every time we talk I feel like there’s no way the two of us could possibly work, but we do. Just yesterday he took me to the museum and I thought I’d be so bored, but I wasn’t. Yusuke made a point to find really interesting pieces with cool backstories that would keep my attention.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Isn’t it? He’s really caring and thoughtful. He drew me a picture of my favorite character from this video game I’ve been playing and he even sat and watched me play it for like four hours!”

“Is he replacing me as your video game buddy?”

“Maybe.”

“Bitch.”

“Hey! He’s not a bitch!”

“I wasn’t calling Yusuke a bitch; I was calling you one.”

“Oh.”

Ann laughed into the receiver, not caring how loud her voice rang in Ryuji’s ear. “That’s all? Just ‘oh.’ No angry comeback or anything?”

“Nah. I don’t care what you call me cause you’re a loser. By the way, you’re demon-woman in my phone and I have a picture of some ten-headed dragon as your icon.”

“Yeah, I know.” Ann’s eyes narrowed thinking about the fact that what Ryuji said was true. “I actually just changed your name in my phone.”

Leave it to Ryuji to fall right into her trap. “To what?”

“Dumbass.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

More laughter came from Ann and it took almost twenty minutes to get her to calm down. Eventually Ryuji hung up the phone and walked through the underground mall, looking for something to give Yusuke as a gift. Not only did Ryuji have a hard enough time finding something for a person whose passion was art, but add on that Yusuke was the most eccentric man alive and it became impossible for Ryuji to know what his boyfriend would like and what he’d find repulsive. Food almost always worked in Ryuji’s favor and just when he started searching for sweets and treats his phone rang again.

“Yo.”

“Don’t you ever hang up on me again, Sakamoto.”

A crooked smile curved on Ryuji’s lips as he tapped the red button on his phone, effectively hanging up on Ann. He went back to shopping though didn’t have to wait long before his phone rang again. He picked it up and couldn’t say even one word before the demon-woman unleashed on him.

“I swear on my persona, if you hang up this phone one more time!”

“Alright, alright! Sorry!”

“No, you’re not.”

“You’re right. Anyway, let’s get back to my issue.”

“Screw you.”

“Yusuke’s got that taken care of.”

“I doubt that considering you can’t even kiss the man.”

“Goddamn you, Takamaki.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

Ryuji sighed as he navigated his way through the crowd to find a bench. If they were finally going to talk about this, then he might as well get comfortable. “Yeah. I need your advice, Ann. I’m worried. We keep fighting our desires, and I’m concerned about what that means for us. Maybe we don’t love each other as much as we think we do or—“

“Don’t ever say that again, Ryuji. How dare you question your love for Yusuke after you just raved to me about how he goes out of his way for you. I swear you two are so in love it’s gross. And frankly, Ryuji, I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re with Yusuke. Hell, you even called me asking what kind of recipes he might like so you could cook for him! When have you ever wanted to do that for anyone?”

“Literally never.”

“You even introduced him to your mom and she is so supportive of you guys. She adores Yusuke! I don’t think she could be more proud of who you fell in love with.”

Ryuji’s cheeks turned pink as emotions swelled in his heart. Sometimes he forgot how much his mom cared about Yusuke. She loved making him food and she had never met someone with an interest in something as refined as art. It fascinated her to no end. Seeing them two of them talk with one another made Ryuji believe that Yusuke was truly the one. It sounded cheesy even to him, but he always believed that love was one and only one. There was someone perfect out there for everybody and for Ryuji, that person was Yusuke. The two were total opposites, rarely agreed on anything, had completely unrelated hobbies, and were often not on the same page with each other.

Yet they never experienced more support than from one another. Ryuji encouraged Yusuke to experiment with new art techniques. He inspired him like no other muse had before. He would give him money to buy paints and new brushes when Yusuke inevitably spent his money on something stupid. In return Yusuke learned as much as he could about video game and manga art. He enjoyed watching Ryuji’s childlike expression when he played a video game and he could even admit he had fun playing a few himself. On a few occasions he’d gone to the gym with Ryuji to encourage him to grow strong and not allow his injury to get in the way of his goals.

They were perfect for each other.

“I love him so fucking much, Ann. God, I love him.”

On the other end of the phone, Ann’s warm smile would have melted the coldest person’s heart. “That’s what I want to hear. You know you love this boy and I think that’s why you’re overthinking this whole kissing situation.”

“Huh? I’m overthinking it?”

“Yes! Listen, it’s not unusual to be nervous around someone you truly love even if you’ve been dating a few months. You both want to move on to the next level, but that’s scary. And it’ll continue to be scary. You’re just a little shy right now, but you’ll find the courage to kiss him. Then you’ll have to get over the fear of having sex with him. Then you’ll have to get over the fear of moving in with him. Then you’ll have to get over the fear of asking him to marry you.”

“Too far into the future, Ann! Way too far! I can’t think that far.”

“You can’t think at all, but you get my point, right? You’re going to hit these walls in your relationship that require you to take big steps to overcome. Everything is cute and fun now, but one day you’ll get into a big fight with Yusuke. A huge one. You’ll both walk away from each other and wonder if you really want to stay together. And as nervous as you’ll be you’ll have to work up the courage to apologize, just like how you’ll have to work up the courage to one day move in with each other and eventually get married. This is just a stepping stone to something much bigger, Ryuji. So kiss the damn boy.”

It was annoying when Ann was reasonable, but it was also why Ryuji called her in the first place. Ann never let him down. She never led him astray. She was direct and cruel and didn’t sugarcoat anything for Ryuji because she knew that was what he needed. She told him what he needed to hear and left it to him to make his own decisions. More than once Ann had helped Ryuji in his relationship with Yusuke, but so far this had been the biggest issue they’d discussed. Considering the magnitude Ryuji felt the situation was, Ann seemed unfazed. She saw everything clearly and opened Ryuji’s eyes so he could see clearly as well.

“One day I’m going to call you because I’m scared of moving in with him or marrying him.”

“Call? No way, I’ll be right there with you shopping for a ring! The only reason I’m not with you now is because my show’s about to start.”

“I know how important that is.”

“More important than you.”

“As I said, I know how important it is.”

“You better hope you don’t ask me to go ring shopping with you when my show is on. We’d have to postpone.”

“Your show’s gonna be cancelled in three months tops.”

“You shut your goddamn mouth.”

“Accept the truth, Ann.”

“ANYWAY!” Ann screamed, making Ryuji pull the phone away from his ear. He laughed to himself before bringing the phone back when he heard Ann talking again. “Don’t overthink your nerves, Ryuji. What you’re feeling is normal. Also, don’t force a fucking kiss. Let it happen naturally. You’ll feel a lot less awkward if you just allow it to happen instead of running around trying to prepare for it. You guys will kiss eventually. That’s what people in love do.”

“I know. I guess I’m just… Desperate now. I just want to kiss him so badly, Ann, but we always pull away and I’m scared he’s going to pull away when I try!”

“And it’s okay if he does, boy.” Ann rolled her eyes. How could Ryuji really be this stupid? “If Yusuke’s not ready, then don’t force him to be ready. He wouldn’t ask you to kiss him if you weren’t ready so don’t do that to him. When you go in for the kiss, if he pulls away early or turns his head or something, don’t freak out in that Ryuji-way you do. Just accept that he needs more time.”

“Yeah…. Yeah, you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.”

“That’s rarer than you think, you know.”

“Look, my show is starting. Do you need anything else or are you good?”

There were a multitude of questions Ryuji had. He wanted to know if he should bring up to Yusuke how nervous he’s been feeling about this. He wanted to know if there was a certain way he should approach the kiss. Sure, acting natural was the best bet, but what did that even mean? What if there wasn’t a natural situation in which a kiss could occur? Should he try to make one or not? And what if Yusuke was ready for a kiss and he wasn’t? Yusuke would be embarrassed that Ryuji wasn’t ready and Ryuji would be ashamed that he turned Yusuke away. This whole thing could fall apart. This could be the end of their relationship as they knew it!

“I guess I’m good,” he said, sighing as his heavy body sunk against the bench.

“There’s nothing else you need from me, okay? Don’t overthink it. You’re really,  _really_  good at not thinking and this is one of those times you should utilize that skill.”

“Gee thanks, demon-woman.”

“You’re welcome, dumbass.”

There was a pause between the two of them before Ryuji smiled and stood. “Hey, Ann. Really… Thanks. I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ryuji. We’ve always got each other’s back. Now I’m gonna go, okay? See you and good luck! Tell me how it goes! Bye!”

“Later.”

There was so much to think about, so much to consider. There were endless ways this could go right and endless ways this could go wrong. It was hard to keep his mind straight with all the scenarios running through it.

But Ann’s advice ran through his mind as well. Don’t overthink this. Love was a difficult thing to think about, so it made sense to not even try. His nerves were still about him. His hands were shaking, his palms were sweaty; his heart was about to explode from his chest, but his mind was settled. No matter how this turned out he would accept it. He wouldn’t think about it. He and Yusuke had naturally fallen in love, naturally decided to date each other, naturally wanted to be around each other. Everything else would come naturally as well. With that sense of calm, Ryuji quickly bought a box of chocolates and a big red flower that he didn’t know the name of and set off for LeBlanc.

***

“Hey!”

Ryuji ran down the alley towards both the cafe and his boyfriend, waving his arm the entire way. The delighted look on Yusuke’s face when he saw him nearly made him trip over his own feet. How had he managed to lure in such a captivatingly beautiful man. Yusuke could have just about anyone he wanted and yet he went with this dork. This non-artistic, video game loving, loud dork. Then again, Yusuke had said over and over again that he loved everything about Ryuji, and Ryuji was long past the point of questioning that.

“Hey, babe!”

“Hello, love.” Yusuke placed a soft kiss on Ryuji’s cheek before looking down at the gifts. “Are these for me?”

“Yeah, but don’t be greedy with the chocolates. Share some with me.”

“Of course, my love.” Yusuke happily accepted the gifts and lightly nuzzled Ryuji’s temple as a way of thanks. “And what sort of flower is this? You picked it out special?”

“Kind of.” Ryuji scratched the back of his head as he wrapped an arm around Yusuke’s waist and pulled him closer, partly so he could examine the obnoxious flower he chose and partly so Yusuke wouldn’t be so far away from him. “I don’t know what it is though. The flower lady told me, but I wasn’t exactly listening.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Yusuke said with a laugh.

“Well, I didn’t really care what it was called! I knew you’d like it because it looked weird. I thought about getting you normal roses, but when I saw this I’d thought you’d enjoy it more.”

“Well, you’re right about that. You know me better than I know myself, Ryuji. I actually might draw this flower when I get home. It’s rather unusual, isn’t it? It’s so large and there are more petals on it than I can begin to count. Even the coloring is different than what I normally see on flowers.”

“So I did good?”

“You did wonderfully. Though I’m curious as to what the occasion is. It’s not my birthday or yours. It’s not Valentine’s Day or White Day. I don’t think it’s our anniversary. Surely, I wouldn’t forget.”

“No, none of those things. At least… I don’t think it’s our anniversary.”

“Really, Ryuji…” The exasperation in his boyfriend’s tone didn’t go unnoticed by Ryuji.

“Anyway, uhhh… No, there’s no occasion. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

That smile was exactly why Ryuji did these things for his precious boyfriend. Seeing that grateful, loving, elated look on Yusuke’s face made Ryuji fall in love with him all over again. Sometimes he felt like he was put on this earth just to make Yusuke smile like that. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe Yusuke was put on this earth to help Ryuji become the best person he could be. Maybe Ryuji was only this happy because Yusuke made his way into his life.

“How can I repay you, Ryuji?”

“Don’t repay me.” Ryuji didn’t hesitate when he spoke. The last thing he wanted was for Yusuke to pay him back for these gifts. He never gave him things with an expectation of receiving something in return. It was too lame for him to say, but Yusuke’s happiness was enough repayment. It was all he wanted, which was why he went out of his way to buy him flowers and chocolates and stuffed animals and whatever else would make Yusuke’s eyes shine.

“Well thank you, Ryuji. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I don’t know how I wound up with someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” Ryuji raised an eyebrow, pulling Yusuke in just a bit closer. “Sounds like an insult.”

“It could be if you take it that way.” A mischievous smile crossed Yusuke’s lips as he planted a few small kisses on his love’s cheek. “You could take it as I’ve found someone who’s lazy and doesn’t do his schoolwork and spends most of his time playing video games and—“

“Okay, okay! I get it!” Teasing was common between the two, almost as common as between him and Ann, but Ryuji was aware of just how vastly different their levels were. When they walked down the street together he often imagined people wondering how someone as tall and beautiful and elegant and talented as Yusuke ended up with this useless, small, underachieving loser. It was like seeing a supermodel with someone clearly below her level. How could she fall in love with someone so beneath her?

Well, it’s because that loser has a lot of redeeming qualities.

“Like I said, you’re the one who took it negatively. I was trying to say I don’t see how I found someone so spectacular. You’re caring and genuine.” Yusuke turned so the two were fulling facing each other, his arms awkwardly hugging Ryuji while trying to hold onto the flower and chocolates; Ryuji returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around Yusuke’s thin waist. “You’re passionate and your will to fight is unmatched. You’re thoughtful, always putting others before yourself. You’re oddly understanding and even before we started dating I knew I could come to you with any problem and you would be on my side no matter what.”

“That last one sounds like a bad thing! What if you came to me and told me you wanted to destroy the world?”

“You’d probably support me and be right there beside me the entire way.”

He was absolutely right. “Only after I told Akira so he could stop you.”

“And that’s what’s so amazing about you. You have the potential to do the right thing while still making everyone around you happy. It’s a unique talent, Ryuji, and one I adore.”

Ryuji shrugged. Yusuke was the dramatic type, so Ryuji often thought that he liked to place him on a pedestal, one he didn’t belong on. Yusuke saw all these qualities in him and more, but when Ryuji looked in the mirror he didn’t see those things. All he saw was a man in love with the most beautiful and talented artist on earth. He did everything he could for Yusuke and if it translated to these wonderful traits that Yusuke saw, then all he could do was be happy about it.

“I’m simple, Yusuke. I just like to buy you flowers and chocolates. I like to cook for you. I like watching you draw. That’s all, babe. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“You’re far too humble, but I’ll accept what you say.” Yusuke pressed their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. The gesture took Ryuji off guard, but Yusuke didn’t seem to notice. “Now why don’t we go inside? I’m craving coffee and—oh!”

Yusuke had attempted to pull away, only to be stopped by Ryuji’s strong arms. For a moment, Yusuke thought something might have been wrong. He stared into Ryuji’s eyes, wondering what he could have been thinking behind them. He seemed nervous. There was a lot he wanted to say only for none of it to come out. Words weren’t Ryuji’s strong point, and it seemed he struggled with them when he needed them most.

“Ryuji?” Yusuke pressed a free hand to his lover’s cheek, a look of concern etched on his features. The touch sent a warmth through Ryuji’s body, calming him in that way only Yusuke could do. He nuzzled deeper into Yusuke’s palm, kissing the soft skin before pressing their foreheads together.

“I talked to Ann today,” he said, his hot breath ghosting against Yusuke’s lips. He didn’t notice how Yusuke shivered, but he did notice how he moved in closer so there was no room between their bodies. “She said some weird things.”

“Weird things?”

“Yeah. She talked about how one day we’re gonna have a big fight and we’ll have to learn to overcome it.”

That was the last thing Yusuke expected to hear. It took him aback, but he recovered quickly enough. “I suppose she’s right. Why did she—“

“She also talked about us moving in one day. Then, she said that one day we’re gonna get married.”

“Why was she saying these things? I’d like to think we’ll be together through all of that and for that long, but it’s so far in the future.”

“She was giving me examples of naturally occurring events that happen in a relationship. Sex. Moving in. Fights. Marriage. She said all the little things we do now are just stepping stones for those bigger things. She told me to accept whatever came my way. She wanted me to let things progress naturally and see where they go.”

Yusuke shrugged, swallowing hard as his body grew warmer from Ryuji’s closeness. “I think she’s right.”

“You do?”

“Mhm. But she’s also not right.”

“What?”

“Well, think about it. It’s all fine and good to let things happen naturally, but sometimes you have to take the reigns and make things happen. Sometimes you have to push forward. Where do you think our society would be if scientists weren’t constantly searching for new discoveries or if we never took the time to study technology and push it to it’s limits? Even art has evolved and grown because someone forced it to. It’s nice to let things happen on their own, but sometimes you have to initiate it. Then a new natural progression can occur.”

“Oh. I get what you’re saying.” Ryuji nodded, his hand finding it’s way under Yusuke’s shirt so his fingers could dance up and down his side. He bit his lip, keeping in a gasp at the softness of Yusuke’s skin. This wasn’t the first time he had touched Yusuke like this, and it wouldn’t be the last, but it always felt like he was touching something divine. Just the feel of Yusuke drove him wild… It made him wonder what would happen when they finally did get to the bigger events in their relationship. Sex with Yusuke was probably the closest thing to having sex with a god.

Ryuji quickly pushed the thought from his head. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, it was better to start small. He pressed a light kiss to Yusuke’s mouth, smiling against it. “So,” he said, his lips still resting against Yusuke’s, “would you consider this natural progression or me initiating something new?” His tongue peeked out and glided against Yusuke’s perfect lip. Ryuji couldn’t tell if the gasp from his boyfriend was good or bad, but when he didn’t pull away he assumed the best. Yusuke’s arms tightened around Ryuji and he parted his lips in hopes that Ryuji would find the courage to enter.

And he did.

Yusuke melted when he felt his love’s moist tongue brushing against his own. The sigh Ryuji let out didn’t go unnoticed either. They were hesitant at first. They played around, lightly lapping at each other just to commit the other’s taste to memory. Ryuji knew right away that he was addicted to this taste, this wonderful deliciousness that his body suddenly craved. He found himself holding Yusuke even tighter, pressing their lips harder together, trying to devour the most delectable thing on earth.

Yusuke deepened the kiss as well, sucking hard on Ryuji’s bottom lip while Ryuji worked on his top. Any other day they might have been embarrassed to show such affection in public, but their minds were completely void of anything except each other. It was impossible to give a name to the feeling in the pit of their stomachs, but they were consumed by it. It spread throughout their bodies, leaving no part untouched. It could have been love. Desire. Want. Need. Hunger. Comfort. Maybe this was the feeling all of those adults had when their palaces formed from their twistedness. It could have been anything, but all Ryuji and Yusuke knew was that they adored it. It held them hostage and the only way they could think of even remotely satisfying it was to keep kissing one another.

Unfortunately, they needed air. Ryuji was the first one to pull away. He was surprised at how hard he was breathing, though Yusuke was the same. Their foreheads stayed pressed together as they caught their breath, their eyes staring right into each other’s as if they could see that mysterious feeling traveling back and forth between them. It didn’t go away, and they knew it wouldn’t. It would never leave them. This strong feeling of love, desire, hunger, lust, whatever it was, now rooted itself deep inside of them. Not that they were complaining. It was the natural progression of things after all.

“Ryuji…” The word left Yusuke’s mouth in a whisper, barely grazing Ryuji’s lips before disappearing, though the warmth of it lingered. In that moment, Ryuji wanted nothing more than his loving boyfriend. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else was important. Nothing else existed except him and Yusuke.

This time Ryuji didn’t need to work up his courage. He didn’t need to start with an explanation of his thoughts or how he went to Ann seeking advice. All he did was press his lips to Yusuke’s and ran his tongue along them, as if that was entirely normal for them. That feeling inside of them grew as they shared another kiss. Heat ran through them like lightning; if they had the ability to think, they would have wondered how they hadn’t exploded yet. As they kissed, Ryuji ran his hand along Yusuke’s bare skin. His back, his stomach, his arms, his cheeks, nowhere was safe from Ryuji’s touch. That touch set Yusuke ablaze; it fueled the fire that was already burning in him, and had Ryuji not been holding him so tightly he might have fallen.

Yusuke had never experienced the feeling of his knees getting weak, but Ryuji always introduced him to new things. He was only able to balance because of his caring boyfriend holding him, but Ryuji’s legs were shaking just as much. They had to pull away in order to get themselves together. Neither of them imagined the feeling of kissing someone could be so intense. Ryuji felt like he’d been transported to another world. Then again, that feeling wasn’t so unfamiliar. Ryuji sometimes thought of Yusuke as an alien who somehow fell in love with him and introduced him to new experiences he never imagined could be real or possible.

“Why don’t we go inside? I think we could both use a seat.”

“Yeah… Let’s do that,” Yusuke said, sounding like he’d just run a marathon.

“Say…” Ryuji kept his boyfriend close as they headed towards the door of LeBlanc. “Do you think that was natural? Or did I force it?”

Yusuke shrugged as the door was opened for him. “Both, I suppose. Do you think our love for each other has grown? Is that why that was so… Amazing?” An answer to that question wouldn’t come. When the two stepped inside, they could only laugh at the immediate teasing coming from Boss and Akira who had been forced to explain to the customers sitting by the window why these two boys felt they could just kiss out in public like that. Ryuji wasn’t bothered by any of it. If they wanted an explanation, he had one.

He and Yusuke were in love. Madly in love. And no one could stop the natural progression of their ever growing relationship. No one.

**Author's Note:**

> I guess this turned into more of a "Ryuji kisses Yusuke" story than a "kiss Ryuji" story, but hey... Yusuke definitely kissed him ^_^ Kisses all around!


End file.
